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Published: 21 October 2014 21 October 2014

By Mary Alice Murphy

After adding an item to the agenda, addressing indigent claims, the first item of business for the Grant County Commission's work session of Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2014, was the financial report.

Financial Director Linda Vasquez reported the county had made expenditures of $681,390.73 since the last report. Amounts, in round numbers, included a payment of about $1,600 for the quarterly payment to the High Desert Humane Society, with which the county contracts for animal control services; $20,000 to Engineers Inc. for the North Hurley project; $16,000 in the quarterly payment to the Grant County Extension Service; $14,500 for the monthly inmate health care; $40,000 to Wright Express for fuel; $18,000 for lead-proof vests for the Detention Center officers; $60,000 to Sacaton Construction for the Tyrone Volunteer Fire Department expansion; and payroll of $196,893.89.

The General Fund has an end of fiscal year projected cash balance of $2,545,875, minus the three-twelfths required reserve of $2,362,053, leaving a projected surplus of $183,823.

The Road Fund is projected to have a fiscal year end cash balance of $138,101, minus the one-twelfth required reserve of $137,684, leaving a surplus of $417.

The Corrections Fund, which is not required to have a reserve, is expecting to have about $335,700 left at the end of the fiscal year, with projected transfers and revenues of 2.3 million and operating expenditures and salaries and benefits of a bit over $2 million.

Robert Rydeski, with whom the county last year contracted to provide insurance coverage to its employees, gave an overview of how much money the county had saved in the past year.

"If you had stayed with the state plan, it would have cost you $170,179 a month for insurance for your employees," Rydeski said. "The cost to the county this year was $146,649 a month. Last year, I wasn't sure how much you would save, because I didn't know which plan people would pick. Some picked the HMO plan and some the PPO. You saved overall $435,000 in premiums from what you would have spent on the state plan. I expect your monthly to rise to $157,470 a month because Presbyterian raised its renewal rates by 7 percent."

Commissioner Ron Hall asked why the cost was less and: "Are we covering the employees the way we should be?"

Rydeski said the plan he designed actually increased benefits to the employees. "We didn't save a whole lot on the lifetime disability because we created a substantial increase in benefits from two years to age 65. My fee was not included in the savings. The benefits increased, while deductibles and co-pays were less, but no changes in benefits."

Commission Chairman Brett Kasten noted the county had to pay the state $75,000 to get out of its plan, to which Rydeski said that was not in his calculations either, because he didn't know what the amount was.

Treasurer Steve Armendariz protested that his deductible had almost doubled. Rydeski said he would like to visit with him on the issue.

Commissioner Gabriel Ramos said he liked having a local broker "because we can call you if we have a question."

Rydeski recommended the county stay with Delta Dental, because it covers orthodontia. In his letter to commissioners, Rydeski said he would also like to visit with the commissioners and one-on-one with employees on critical illness, cancer, accident and life insurance plans for them.

Commissioners at the regular county meeting on Thursday will:
• Consider transferring a 2004 Ford Taurus Station Wagon from Senior Services to the Grant County DWI Department for $1,800;
• Hear the Silver City Arts & Cultural District director present his quarterly report on tourism, the visitor center and marketing for Silver City and Grant County;
• Approve or disapprove a proclamation naming October 2014 as Dyslexia Awareness Month in Grant County;
• Discuss a memorandum of agreement between the New Mexico Department of Transportation and Grant County, concerning the public transit system, Corre Caminos; and
• Consider a grant agreement, which combines End Driving While Impaired, Buckle Up/Click it or Ticket, and 100 Days and Nights of Summer grants into one payment for the Sheriff's Office of $32,940. Sheriff Raul Villanueva said these were the same grants as received in past years.

Commissioners will also consider a resolution making rate changes to the guideline for renting Bataan Memorial Park Pavilion and Concession facilities. The day rate for the pavilion will rise from $200 to $250, and for the concession from $100 to $150 per day. The refundable reservation/custodial deposit fee will increase from $50 to $200 to cover custodial expenses and supplies.

Ramos noted that the committee wanted to have enough money as a deposit in case the county has to hire janitorial services to clean the facility.

General Services Director Randy Villa said the changes were particularly necessary for when the Business and Conference Center goes into renovation.

Hall suggested a sentence should be added saying that any group that rents the facility has to pay any excess costs incurred as a result of the rental. Villa said the Parks and Recreation Committee wants an umbrella policy for all county-owned facilities.

Kasten said he thought a pamphlet of rates should be created and made available to those wanting to rent facilities. "If they rent a building, they have to take care of it."

Ramos said the policy right now allows employees to rent the entire conference center for less than the little building at Bataan.

Commissioners will reconvene as the Grant County Indigent and Health Plan Claims Board to consider an indigent burial certificate for Terrazas Funeral Chapels and indigent claims of $187,000.

County reports will be covered in a subsequent article.